


Do you Still Believe in Love

by DancesWithDragons (totallyTargaryen), Friend



Category: Tintenwelt-Trilogie | Inkheart Trilogy - Cornelia Funke
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, F/M, Fantasy, Loss of Virginity, Nudity, PTSD, Romance, Sex, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-27 19:17:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18745411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totallyTargaryen/pseuds/DancesWithDragons, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Friend/pseuds/Friend
Summary: The Piper is proven to have a real heart





	1. Lantana

**Author's Note:**

> This is my friend's story, she doesn't have Ao3, and asked me to post it for her instead. This is her idea, her OC and her fanfic.

She was running from Ombra. Lantana's feet throbbed as her blisters ruptured, and her chest was aching. Even though she was struggling to breathe, she pushed onwards, she wasn't going to let her uncle marry her to some old drunken fool whose name she did not even know. She fought through a thicket of brambles and saw it. A creature she thought only existed in legends until she had hidden it in her home two days earlier. The unicorn did not fear her, it knew her to be a friend. This time, they were both fleeing. The unicorn fleeing the Milksop, Lantana fleeing her uncle, and a marriage that she did not want. She could tell that the creature was preparing to run again.  
"Take me." Lantana blurted. "Take me with you." The unicorn eyed her with it's intelligent gaze. "Take me away." She begged. "Please."  
The unicorn snorted softly, and lowered it's back, allowing her to climb astride it. She gripped the silky white mane.  
"Run." Lantana urged. And the unicorn did.

The Milksop was too close for Lantana's liking. The unicorn surged through the trees, mane flying. Lantana had named her Althea, because it sounded like a good name for her. An arrow zipped past her head, eliciting a startled cry from Lantana. Her heart sank as she saw the row of horses ahead of her in the clearing. It was all over. Mounted on a tall black horse, silver-nose gleaming, was the Piper. Lantana looked over her shoulder as the Milksop and his men charged into the clearing.  
"Halt!" The Piper barked in his nasal voice. The Milksop and his hunting party stopped short.  
In the desperate ride, Lantana hadn't even realized that it was snowing, but now that she was trapped, she realized how cold she was, and that large snowflakes drifted down from the heavy grey clouds. The Piper rode forward, eyeing her as he did so. Lantana looked away. The Piper spoke again.  
"It would be a crime to hurt one as beautiful as this." The Piper said coldly. "Don't you agree?" He asked the Milksop. The other man did not answer. "I think it would be wise for you," The Piper continued. "To ride back to Ombra."  
"The unicorn-" The Milksop protested.  
"Is no longer your concern." The Piper finished for him. Althea snorted, and Lantana rubbed her neck, trying hard not to betray her fear. The Piper's hand, clad in soft lambskin gloves, slid under her chin, using one finger, the silver-nosed man tilted Lantana's face up to him. He was more comely than she cared to admit.  
"Such beauty." The Piper said, to no one in particular. Lantana turned away. "See that the Unicorn comes to no harm." The Piper commanded. His men approached, tying a rope around Althea's neck. Lantana patted her, trying to keep her calm, because she was safer this way than running through the woods, the Milksop would still hunt.  
"Down." One of the soldiers growled at her. Lantana obeyed, she felt an odd mix of fear and curiosity. The same soldier led her over to the Piper's horse, and without warning, he lifted her onto the big black animal, in front of the Piper. Curiosity faded, and all she felt was fear. The Piper seemed to know this.  
"Now now, my beauty." He crooned "You're quite safe." Lantana did not answer. The Piper gestured to a guard, and the man offered Lantana his silver-grey cloak.  
"Better, Little Bird?" The Piper asked asked once the cloak was fastened onto Lantana's shoulders. She only nodded, the realization that she would be going to the Castle of Night had left her afraid to speak, knowing that her voice would tremble.  
"You'll find I'm not so bad." The Piper said in an oddly gentle voice, as he urged his horse forward.


	2. The Castle of Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lantana is brought to the Castle of Night

The Castle of Night was even bigger than Lantana had imagined. She stood inside the Throne Room, between two of the Piper's men. She was trying hard not to look at the man on the Throne. The rumors were true, he really was rotting. Lantana breathed through her mouth, trying to avoid the putrid smell emanating from the Adderhead's pale, swollen flesh. The Adderhead's voice sent chills down her spine.  
"Found a girl, have you Piper?" The Silver Prince asked, he seemed to be struggling for breath.  
"Yes, your Grace." The Adderhead nodded at the Piper's answer. His eyes went to Lantana.  
"Well, step forward, let's have a look at you." The Adderhead commanded. The soldier behind her gave her a shove. Lantana tried to hide her discomfort as the Adderhead eyed her like an exotic animal.  
"And what a prize she is." The rotting man rasped. Lantana stared at the floor. The Adderhead turned to the Piper. "You may go." He said dismissively. The Piper took the girl down to a huge bedroom. He called to the maid, instructing her to clean the girl up. Even now she was beautiful, covered in dirt, clothes torn, blond hair matted. The grime on her face seemed to make her pale blue eyes glow in contrast. He watched as the maid took her arm, guiding her into the next room. 

Lantana was reclined in the steaming water, while the maid scrubbed her skin. 'I can do that myself.' Lantana had said, but the maid had simply shook her head, and told Lantana that it was her job. "You have such lovely hair my lady." The maid said as she brushed it. "Such a pale blond." "Thank you." Though Lantana would have guessed her to be the same age as her, 18, or perhaps 19, but the way she giggled and talked about boys reminded Lantana of herself when she was 13. The maid added more honeysuckle oil to the bathwater. After another 20 minutes, the maid said she could get out, and insisted on helping towel her off. The maid continued to comb her hair until it was dry, and brought her a silk tunic, and leggings. Relieved that she was not being dressed in a ball gown, Lantana slipped the clothes on.

The Piper looked up as the maid brought the girl back. She had been beautiful before, she was breathtaking now. Her silky white-gold hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders and down her back, her fair skin was smooth, and her blue eyes were bright.

After the maid left, the Piper approached the girl. She eyed him warily.  
"Do you have a name, little Bird?" The Piper asked. She hesitated, and then answered.  
"Lantana." The Piper raised an eyebrow.  
"After the poisonous plant?" He asked. Lantana nodded. "How very interesting." The Piper lay back on his bed. "You might as well get comfortable Lantana." He said calmly.  
Lantana hesitated, then sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed.   
"Althea..." She said quietly. "Is she okay?"  
"Your unicorn is fine. I'll take you to see her tomorrow."


	3. The Coldest One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lantana catches feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Imma tell my friend to hurry up and get on the next chapter, cause I want to know where this is going!

The Piper had kept his word, she was allowed to ride Althea everyday for the past week, and now the Piper was bringing her to Ombra with him. Althea snorted softly as the soldier led her out to Lantana. A soft leather bridle was already on the unicorn, a small saddle on her back. The Piper gently lifted her by her hips, setting her on the unicorn's back. The soldier held the reins until the Piper mounted his own black horse. The cloak on her shoulders was warm and heavy, and she wondered if it was the finest thing she'd ever worn. She gripped the reins in her gloved hands. The guard did not release the reins until he had lead Althea up next to the Piper's horse. The Piper shouted a command, and urged his horse forward. Lantana nudged Althea's flanks with her knees, marveling at the unicorn's smooth gait.

Fenoglio watched sullenly from his window as the Piper rode past, he perked up at the surprising sight of a young woman, mounted on a unicorn. A unicorn! Fenoglio knew that Orpheus must have read it here, but it was hard to be angry, it was so beautiful, as was the girl on it's back. She looked slightly uncomfortable, and Fenoglio guessed that she was not a woman from the Adderhead's court, probably some village girl that the Piper wanted to play with for awhile. But the way he looked at her... Fenoglio shook his head in surprise. Was it possible? That the Piper wanted something more than a brief fling with her. After all, the unicorn must have been the one that had escaped the Milksop, and the Piper had let the girl keep it. Perhaps he really did care about her? All the times that Fenoglio had written the Piper with a woman he was having a fling with, the Piper had always been dismissive of her. He certainly never helped them down from their horses, or rested his hand in the small of their backs. Not like he did with this girl.

Lantana had come to quite like the Piper over the past week, even before coming to Ombra. It had all started at the indignant nasal cussing over the "Fucking snow". That had set her to laughing, and then he'd started talking to her, asking her friendly, innocuous questions, they'd spent the whole first ride together talking. No one had ever taken such interest in her before, and she briefly wondered what it would be like to love someone. Or, if indeed she was falling in love? Why did her heart beat faster whenever she was close to him? She wasn't afraid of him, not anymore. She was actually drawn to him. As much as she hated to admit it, she wanted to be near him. She wasn't sure whether to accept that or fight it. The first time she'd felt the little twinge, she thought it was a friendly affection, but then something inside her stirred, and that had never happened before. She was bewildered by what had happened, her whole life, she'd been called a cold bitch for not falling in love with any boy who spoke to her, her heart had remained empty, and then the Piper came along, and there was something, a spark, then an ember, how long before it became a fire? She almost laughed at herself. 'How long? You little liar, it has been a fire for the past 3 days now.'  
"Lantana." An excited shiver ran down her back when he said her name. 

The Piper looked into those pale blue eyes, they seemed to be trying to tell him something. He shook himself out of his reverie.  
"What do people say about me? Here in Ombra?" Lantana tilted her head.  
"They say that you are the coldest of men, that you have a heart of silver, that you only know how to hurt people, that you care only for yourself." The Piper winced, expecting as much.  
"Now I have a question for you." Lantana said calmly.  
"Ask away."  
"If you have a heart of cold silver, how did you manage to wake mine?"

**Author's Note:**

> I'll let her know what people think.


End file.
